Circular knitting machine of the superimposed needle cylinder type



1 9 F. E. DEANS ErAL 2,910,847

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE OF THE SUPERIMPOSED NEEDLE CYLINDER TYPE FiledOct. 6, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 F/GQl.

l2 I m QER m L I m /9 I2 I t I Aftorney Nov. 3, 1959 F. E. DEANS ETA!-CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE OF THE SUPERIMPOSED NEEDLE CYLINDER TYPE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 0m. 6. 195a Nov. 3, 1959 F. E. DEANS ET CIRCULARKNITTING MACHINE OF THE SUPERIMPOSED NEEDLE CYLINDER TYPE 4 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Oct. 6, 1953 F/GS.

Inuefitors A Home y Nov. 3, 1959 F. E. DEAN-S ETA!- 2,910,847

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE OF THE SUPERIMPOSED I NEEDLE CYLINDER TYPEFiled Oct. 6, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 m F/G.7..

M WWW Attorney United States PatentO CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE OF THESUPER- INIPOSED NEEDLE CYLINDER TYPE Frederick Edward Deans and CarlyleHerbert Wainwright, Leicester, England, assignors, by mesne assignments,to The Bentley Engineering Company Limited, Leicester, EnglandApplication October 6, 1953, Serial No. 384,448

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 10, 1952 4 Claims.(CI. 6614) This invention is concerned with circular knitting machinesof the type having superimposed co-axial needle cylinders arranged torotate, and equipped with doubleended needles, and sliders in eachcylinder for operating said needles for knitting and for transferringneedles between the two cylinders to alter the character of the fabric(e.g. from rib to plain or from one kind of rib fabric to another), andhaving stationary cam boxes, one for each cylinder, for actuating thesliders in their knitting and transferring motions; Such knittingmachines (of which those sold under the registered trademark Komet are awell known example) are commonly employed for knitting hose and halfhose, in which case the cylinders are rotatable and oscillatable.

An object of the present invention is to effect such improvements inmachines of the type specified as will render' various parts of themmore accessible and will facilitate the maintenance of such machines byhosiery machine mechanics.

In machines of the type specified it is often desired to make moreelaborate changes in the character of the fabric than a merechange overbetween plain and rib fabric or a mere alteration in the type of ribfabric. Therefore it is known to provide the top cylinder of suchmachines with an extension, above the length required merely for theknitting and transferring movements of the top sliders, and to equipthis extension with jacks or other patterning instruments which act onthe sliders under the dictates of a patterning mechanism operable on theinstrument and so give the sliders movements which are not provided forby the normal knitting and transferring cams in the top cam box. In suchan arrangement it is customary to fix the top cam box to the undersideof an intermediate plate which is supported by pillars from the frame ofthe machine, and to support the top cylinder from a top plate by ahearing at the upper end of the said extension, which plate is itselfsupported by pillars from the intermediate plate. It will be appreciatedthat the extension above referred to (which may or may not be integralwith the lower part of the cylinder) is located between the two plates,and the patterning mechanism for use in conjunction therewith is alsolocated between two plates. The patterning mechanism serves to bring thepatterning instruments or jacks into or out of range of additional'camswhich are supported on the top surface of the said intermediate plate,and 'these additional cams impart additional movement to the patterninginstruments which, in turn, impart movements to the sliders in order toproduce patterns. Such additional cams must be correctly located butmust be removable, for, which purpose they are doweled to theintermediate plate. For convenience, moreover, the top cam box must bebuilt in sections any one of which is separately removable and, inmachines of this character as heretofore constructed, removal of theadditional cams and/or cam box sections has been a matter of somedifficulty. Various other parts of the machine have, in general, beencomparatively inacces:

- cam box;

sible because of the arrangements just described, thus also leading todifficulty in maintenance. Moreover, the provision of the saidintermediate plate itself involves an otherwise unnecessary elongationof the top cylinder and an increase in the cost of manufacture of themachine, as Well as further interfering with the accessibility ofvarious parts.

The present invention provides a circular knitting ma chine of the typespecified, wherein the top cylinder is extended above the lengthrequired for the knitting and transferring movements of the top slidersand is equipped within said extended part with additional instrumentsfor actuating the sliders under the dictates of patterning mechanismoperable on the instruments, the top cylinder being rotatably supportedfrom a stationary support by a hearing at the upper end of suchextension so as to hang from the latter, and the top cam box also beingsupported from said stationary support in such manner as to permit thepatterning mechanism to act on the instruments. It will thus beappreciated that the intermediate plate hitherto employed is noweliminated, with a consequent increase in accessibility of the variousparts of the machine, and a reduction in the over-all height of themachine parts.

While the top-cam box may be supported from' the top cylinder itselfyet, preferably, there is cam box suspension means extending downexteriorly of the cylinder extension, directly from the said support tothe cam box, and this suspension means has at least one gap or aperturepermitting the patterning mechanism to act on the instruments. In thismanner the cam box is'suspended directly from the top support.

While the suspension means may take the form of a sleeve hanging downfrom the support, and cut away at appropriate locations to provide oneor more windows for the purpose referred to, it preferably consists of aplurality of separate suspension members spaced apart around theextension so as to leave gaps between them.

These suspension members may be in the form of bars,

straps or rods and it will thus be appreciated that the extension issubstantially unenclosed.

If the aforesaid separate suspension members are employed it ispreferred to provide anchoring means, in addition to them, forpreventing rotation or partial rotation of the cam box. Whatever theconstruction of the suspension means, it is further preferred to providecentering means additional to the suspension means, for centering thecam box with respect to the axis of the bottom cylinder. This centeringmeans may be identical with the anchoring means above mentioned.

According to another feature of this invention the top cam box isconstructed in sections at least one of which is removable and this topcam box has at least one instrument-actuating cam in it for actuatingthe instruments in accordance with the dictates of the patterningmechanism.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are incorporated inthe knitting machine of the type specified which will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the'upper part of the said machine;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the machine taken on the line IIIIin Figure l;

Figure 3 is a detail view, partly in section, illustrating theconnection of one of the suspension straps to the top Figure 4 is aperspective view of one of the connecting plates employed for connectingthe sections of the cam box together;

Figure 5 is a part-sectional view of an alternative means for suspendingthe topcam box from the. topplateg.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the lower part of the arrangement shown inFigure Figure 7 is a part-sectional elevation; and

Figure 8 is a sectional plan of. means for adjusting the axial alignmentof the top cam box; and

Figure 9 shows in perspective a means for adjusting the stitch cam.

In Figure 1 sufiicient of the knitting machine is shown to permit of itsbeing identified as a machine of the type specified. Attention isdirected to the top and bottom needle cylinders 1, 2, their respectivecam boxes 3, 4 and the bed 5 of the machine (on which the bottomcylinder 2 is rotatably supported and on which the bottom cam box 4 isstationary). The bottom cam box 4 contains various knitting andtransferring cams such as are indicated generally at 6, and it may haveassociated with it a conventional picker mechanism 7 for use in makingheels and toes of hose and half hose. The top cam box 3 containsconventional knitting and transferring cams such as are indicatedgenerally at 8.

The top cylinder 1 has a tricked upward extension 1a extending beyondthe length necessary merely to accommodate the top sliders and toprovide for their knitting and transferring movements, this extension 1abeing equipped with slidable patterning jacks of a kind themselves wellknown. These jacks are adapted to be acted upon by any known form ofpatterning mechanism, one form of which is indicated generally at 9,this being shown in an inoperative position in full lines and in anoperative position in broken lines. The patterning mechanism, whenoperated, slides the jacks and brings them into and out of the range ofpatterning cams disposed within the top part of the cam .box 3. Thepatterning cams impart additional movements to the jacks so that thelatter in turn impart, to the sliders, movements which difier from thoseimparted to the latter by the normal knitting and transferring cams. Oneof the patterning cams is indicated generally at 10.

The top cylinder 1 is rotatably supported or suspended fromv a bearing11 at the upper end of the extension 1a, such bearing being in or onstationary top support plate 12, so that the top cylinder hangs from it.This plate 12 is fixedly mounted on upright pillars 13, 14, 15 standingup from the bed 5, and holds the bearing 11 in axial alignment with thebottom cylinder 1. The cam box 3 is suspended from the underside of thetop plate 12 by three suspension straps 16 which are equally spacedaround the periphery of the extension In.

These suspension straps shown in Figs. 1 and 3 serve merely to supportthe cam box 3 and have no part in preventing the latter from rotating.They are pivotally suspended from a top plate 12 at their top ends andare pivotally connected at their bottom ends to the cam boxinappropriate manner, as for example by universal joints, that is to sayjoints permitting simultaneous movements in two mutually transversedirections. Specifically each strap 16 is pivoted at its upper end to ahead 17 by a radial. pivot 171 and each head is pivoted by a tangentialpivot 18 to a bracket 19 secured to a mounting on the under side ofplate 12. At its lower end each strap 16 is provided with a ball 20which is received in a radial hole 21 in the shell of the cam box 3,being there retained by a spring loaded ball 22 see Fig. 3) for thepurpose hereinafter mentioned.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified construction wherein the suspensionmembers for the cam box 3 are in the form of rods 116 each pivotallysuspended from a pivot block. 117 screwed into a downward extension 112of the top plate 12 and locked. in position by a nut 118. Each pivotblock 117 has a slit in which fits the upper end of a suspension rod116, the pivot of which is indicated at 216. Each suspension rod 116 atits lower end is provided with a ball headed pin 119 having a head 120which is received in a radial. hole 121 in the shell of the cam box 3,being releasabl retained therein by a spring plate 122 pivotally mountedat 123 for the purpose hereinafter mentioned. The plate 122 is bowedwhen relaxed so as to bear frictionally on the side of the cam box whenfixed in position. This prevents any accidental movement to the openposition.

Since the suspension members 16 or 116 do not com pletely preventrotation or partial rotation of the cam box 3 it is necessary to provideanchoring means for doing so. This anchoring means is best shown inFigs. 2, 7 and 8 and in the construction illustrated it also serves tocentre the cam box 3 in axial alignment with the parts 1, 2 and 4. Inthis latter connection is may be mentioned that while it is possible topermit the cam box 3 to centre itself on the cylinder 1, or on itsextension 1a yet, in certain eventualities (for example in transferringa considerable number of needles) loads may be thrown on the cylinder 1tending to force its tricks out of alignment with the tricks in thecylinder 2 and so it is desirable to centre the came box 3 independentlyof the cylinder 1 and to so arrange matters that when such loads occurthe cam box 3 acts as a steady or hearing for the cylinder 1.

In the illustrated construction there are three torque rods 23, 24, 25,all of which extend tangentially with respect to the axis of the machineand, at one end, they are each connected to the cam box 3 whilst at theother to stationary supports. As shown, rods 23, 24 are mounted onpillar 13 and rod 25 is mounted on pillar 15. The joints 26, 27, 28 atwhich the respective torque rods are connected to the cam box 3 areequidistant around the cam box and it will readily be appreciated thatthe construction illustrated not only prevents rotational movement ofthe cam box 3 but also prevents any lateral movement of it.

Means is provided for the rotational adjustment of cam box 3 and/or forits lateral adjustment. To this end, the rods 23, 24, 25 are mounted oneccentric bosses 29 on collars 30 carried by the respective pillars, thecollars 30 being rotatable except when held in place by the clampingscrews 31. Locating collars 32 are provided above the rods, these beingheld in place by their clamping screws 33. By suitable rotation of oneor more of the collars 30, the eccentric bosses can determine the po'sition of the axis of the cam box relatively to the general axis of themachine and also its rotational adjustment.

The cam box 3 is constructed in three sections numbered 3a, 3b and 3c inFigure 2, all of which sections are separately removable, each sectionbeing detachably secured to the next by a key plate 34 secured in placeby bolts 35. Each key plate 34 fits as a key into a tangential keywardcut across the adjacent ends of the two sections of the cam box, so asto prevent relative axial movement of these two sections, and it isprovided also with an axially extending arm or key 36 which fits betweenthe adjacent end faces of the two sections concerned so that tlliosesections are held in their correct angular relations 1p.

Each torque rod is detachable from its associated cam box section in themanner illustrated in broken lines in Figure 2 in relation to the rod24. The end of each rod is received in the cleft of an eye bolt 37attached to the cam box section and a clamping bolt 38 extends throughthe two checks of this eye bolt and through a slot 39 in the end of thetorque rod. Thus when a clamping bolt 38 is relaxed the correspondingrod 23, 24 or 25 may be swung outwards about its support.

Each suspension member 16 or 116 may also be detached from theassociated cam box section by pulling the member outwards so that theball head 20 or 120 moves out of the hole 21 or 121, the retaining plate122 of Fig. 6 having been first moved to the left as shown in thatfigure. In this movement the member 16 or 116 pivots about the pivot 18or 216 in the pivot block 17. Other retaining means, such as aspring-pressed detent Early be used to retain the head 20 or 120 in thehole 21 or This arrangement permits any cam box section to be withdrawnradially from the cylinder after appropriate key plates 34 have beenremoved.

The patterning mechanism shown is pivotally mounted for movement aboutthe pillar 14 between operative and inoperative positions. anism isprovided, each of them may be mounted in a like manner.

It is desirable to provide means for regulating the stitch length byadjusting the stitch cam, or each stitch cam, associated with the topcam box 3. For this purpose instead of each stitch cam being rigidlyfixed to one of the cam box sections 3a, 3b and 3c it is mounted thereinfor vertical sliding movement. Fig. 2 shows a stitch cam 140 carried bya vertical rod 40 extending downwards from the top plate 12. The top endof this rod 40 is provided with a tappet screw 41 (Fig. 9) which bearson a cam 42 provided on a cam ring 43 rotatably supported on the top ofthe plate 12, and adjustable (manually or automatically or both) aboutthe cylinder axis. Thus by rotating this cam ring the stitch cam may beraised or lowered, and two stitch cams may be adjusted equally byproviding the cam ring with two cams. In the form shown in Figure 9, thecam ring has ratchet teeth on its top face and is advanced when requiredby the pawl 44 carried at the end of the two-armed lever 45, whichlever, mounted on post 46, is operated by the adjustable tappet rods 47.

What we claim is:

1. A knitting machine comprising a top cylinder equipped with slidersfor knitting and transferring movements, a part therefor extending abovethe length required for the knitting and transferring movements of thetop sliders, instrument means within said extending part for If morethan one patterning mechactuating said sliders, a patterning mechanismcontrolling said means, a support in which said top cylinder isrotatably mounted, a bearing on said extending part by which saidextending part is hung from said support, a top cam box supported fromsaid support, suspension means in the form of depending straps extendingexteriorly down the said extending part directly from the support to thecam box and providing spaces permitting the patterning mechanism to acton said instrument means, anchoring means, in addition to saidsuspension means, for preventing rotation of the cam box and means forcentering the cam box relative to the top cylinder, said anchoring meansconstituting at least a part of said centering means.

2, A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the anchoringmeans includes tangential rods which are connected at one end to the cambox, and stationary supports on which the other ends of the rods aremounted.

3. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, in which means is providedfor the rotational adjustment of the cam box.

4. A knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, in which means is providedfor the lateral adjustment of the cam box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS867,764 Stoll Oct. 8, 1907 1,713,736 Bentley May 21, 1929 1,716,691Grieve June 11, 1929 2,440,333 Fregeolle Apr. 27, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS426,276 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1935

